Dinner is the default date and it is not always the best one. Sitting opposite each other for two hours puts all the weight on conversation, which is fine when you have plenty to say and hard work when you do not, early on, or after a long week, or fifteen years in.
A city game does the opposite. You walk, you solve things, you disagree about an answer, and the conversation happens sideways while you are busy with something else. It is the same reason people find it easier to talk in a car.
How it works
You pick a city, open the route on one phone between you, and follow it. Puzzles are tied to real streets, buildings and details you would otherwise walk past. There is no guide, no group and no fixed start time, so you go when you want and stop whenever you feel like it.
Most routes take between ninety minutes and two and a half hours at a relaxed pace, which leaves the evening open. The how it works page covers the mechanics.
Why it works as a date
It gives you something to do with your hands and eyes. Silence while walking is comfortable in a way silence across a table is not.
It shows you something about each other. How someone handles being stuck on a puzzle, or being wrong, or being told they are wrong, tells you more in ten minutes than an hour of talking about work.
It has a natural end. A first date with a built-in finish is much less awkward than one that runs until somebody decides to leave. Finish the route, then decide whether to get a drink.
For a first date
Good, with two caveats. Keep it short, pick the shorter route, and meet somewhere public and central rather than at the start point of a walk into an unfamiliar area. Anyone meeting a stranger should be able to leave easily, and a route that begins on a main square makes that straightforward.
Tell each other in advance how long it will take, so nobody has to invent an excuse.
For a long relationship
This is where it earns its place. Couples who have run out of new things to do together often do not need a big gesture; they need an afternoon that is not the same afternoon. Walking around a city you both know, discovering that neither of you has ever noticed the carving above a doorway you have passed for years, is a small and genuinely nice thing.
It also travels well. On a weekend away, a city game is a good way to see a place properly on the first afternoon, before you know where anything is.
Anniversaries and proposals
Plenty of people use a route as the shape of an afternoon before dinner, and some build a proposal into the end of it. That works, and it works best if the person being surprised likes surprises in public, which is worth being honest with yourself about. A quiet spot at the end of a walk suits far more people than a restaurant with an audience.
Practical things
One phone is enough. Wear shoes you can walk a few kilometres in. It runs outdoors, so it works in light rain and is less fun in a downpour. If one of you struggles with distance or uneven ground, say so when booking, a shorter or flatter route is usually possible, and it is a much better conversation to have beforehand.
Where to do it
Anywhere with a walkable centre, which is most cities. See all the cities we cover, and if the one you are visiting is not there yet, tell us. If you are planning something with several couples, a group of friends, a birthday, a wedding weekend, the groups page has the practical details.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a couples city game take?
Usually ninety minutes to two and a half hours, at whatever pace you set. You can pause for coffee without losing your place.
Is it good for a first date?
Yes, if you keep it short and meet somewhere public and central. It removes the pressure of two hours of continuous conversation.
Do you need two phones?
No, one is enough. Sharing a screen is part of what makes it work.
Is it competitive?
Only if you make it. Playing as a pair against the puzzles is the normal way; playing against each other is a choice, and you know your relationship best.
Can you do it in the evening?
Yes, in summer when it is light late. In winter, an afternoon start is better, the puzzles rely on seeing things.
What if it rains?
It still runs and you can shelter as you go. In heavy rain, most people would rather move it.
Go and walk somewhere
The best dates are the ones where you both stop performing and just do something. For another angle on a day out together, read fun things to do in Amsterdam, or get in touch if you want help planning something specific.